Webinar sponsored by:

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

12:30-2:00 p.m. ET

Agenda | Panelists | Who should attend | Continuing education credits | Register

Overview

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rules for boilers and utilities are poised to hit the power sector like the proverbial Mack truck.

The EPA on March 16 issued its air toxics rule, also known as the utility MACT, aimed at reducing the release of mercury, arsenic and certain other toxic air pollutants from new and existing coal- and oil-fired electric generating units. A separate EPA regulation, boiler MACT, which sets mercury and other emissions limits on fossil fuel and biomass-fired boilers will also change the way utilities manage and monitor their facilities.

This webinar, sponsored by Bracewell & Guiliani, will explain what actions utilities must take in order to comply with these regulations and the cost implications associated with these MACT standards.

Join this topical discussion to learn how to mitigate compliance risks, gain a better understanding of the policies, and what actions are being taken to address them.

Agenda

• Overview of EPA’s MACT regulations that impact the power sector
• – The unintended consequences of the boiler MACT rules and the renewable sector
• – Why utility MACT is considered one of the most expensive rules in the history of the agency
• – Why environmentalists say utility MACT standards are long overdue and further delays are dangerous
• Risks and Challenges
• – How utilities with biomass and coal-fired facilities should prepare for these standards
• – What utilities are asking and considering in order to prepare for the new emissions markets
• – The estimated health implications associated with utility MACT
• – The regulatory outlook on boiler MACT and utility MACT

Learning Objectives

• Understand the current utility MACT and boiler MACT regulations and their respective regulatory outlooks
• Assess what actions generation units must take to comply with the new emissions regulations to avoid penalties
• Prepare for compliance challenges and gain a better understanding of how these rules will impact costs, jobs and human health

Panelists

Richard Alonso – Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

Richard Alonso is a partner in Bracewell & Guiliani’s Environmental Strategies Group in its Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Alonso advises manufacturers and energy companies on environmental compliance and enforcement issues before state and federal agencies. He has counseled clients through complex Clean Air Act permit processes, has represented large trade associations in EPA rulemaking efforts and legal challenges to EPA actions, has defended companies in national environmental enforcement matters by using technical defenses, and is known for his creativity in settlements with regulatory authorities.

Before joining Bracewell, Mr. Alonso was the Chief of the Stationary Source Enforcement Branch at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. In this capacity, he was EPA’s second-ranking official for Clean Air Act enforcement. Mr. Alonso managed and negotiated Clean Air Act enforcement cases involving issues of national significance representing billions of dollars in injunctive relief, including the New Source Review coal-fired power plant enforcement initiative.

Bob Cleaves – President and CEO, Biomass Power Association

Bob Cleaves is President and CEO of Portland, Maine-based Biomass Power Association. Founded in 1999, BPA is the nation's leading voice for biomass as a means for generating electricity, representing over 2,000 MW of installed capacity. BPA members include sawmills, paper companies, and independent power producers, doing business in over 20 states and contributing nearly $1 billion to the national economy. BPA maintains an active presence in Washington, and concentrates on federal tax and energy policy to promote the use of woody biomass for electricity use.

Mr. Cleaves served as a federal prosecutor before entering private law practice. He represented the pulp and paper industry before leaving law to focus on renewable energy. For many years, he managed the nation's largest renewable energy credit portfolio. Mr. Cleaves is active in the renewable energy community in Maine as well as across the country. He currently serves on the Board of the New England Clean Energy Council, Maine Audubon, and Greater Portland Landmarks. Previously, he served on the Massachusetts Biomass Working Group, the GIS Working Group, and the PJM GATS Working Group.

John Hanger – President and CEO, Hanger Consulting LLC

John Hanger is an expert on energy, environment, green economy, competitive electric markets, and utility regulation with unique experience in and out of government. Mr. Hanger is Special Counsel at the law firm Eckert Seamans and runs Hanger Consulting LLC. He has served as both the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and made leading regulatory decisions, testified to Congress and state legislatures and interviewed countless times, appearing on CBS evening News, NBC Evening News, CNN, BBC, CBC, and many more outlets. Mr. Hanger was Founding President of Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future and appointed Public Advocate, representing consumers of the Philadelphia Gas Works and Philadelphia Water Department.

Who will benefit

Continuing education credits

  CFA Institute

1.5 Hours of Continuing Education Credit

SNL Center for Financial Education is registered with CFA Institute as an Approved Provider of professional development programs. This program is eligible for 1.5 CE credit hours as granted by CFA Institute If you are a CFA Institute member, CE credit for your attendance at this event will be automatically recorded in your CE Diary upon request.

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy

1.5 Hours of Continuing Education Credit

Participants who complete this program qualify for 1.5 hours of CPE credit (Specialized Knowledge and Applications). Program Level: Intermediate. Delivery Method: Group-based internet. SNL Center for Financial Education, LLC, is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 4th Ave N, Ste 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba.org.

Register